


read me to sleep

by mossymoon



Category: Shall We Date?: Obey Me!
Genre: Constructive Criticism Welcome, Cute Ending, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Reading, bibliophile satan, lucifer shows up for two seconds, satan being nice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-01
Updated: 2020-08-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:48:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25646836
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mossymoon/pseuds/mossymoon
Summary: after receiving unexpected help from satan for their insomnia, mc finds themself unable to fall asleep without a story from their favorite  book loving demon.
Relationships: Main Character & Satan (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!), Main Character/Satan (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!), Satan (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!) & Reader, Satan (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!)/Reader
Comments: 9
Kudos: 227





	read me to sleep

**Author's Note:**

> i always thought satan's bibliophilia was a cute trait, and figured there was an even cuter way for him to show off it's wholesome aspects with mc :> pls enjoy !

sleeping in devildom was difficult. for humans, at least.

when you'd initially arrived, your first few nights were filled with restless tossing and turning. of course, you had been anxious about being thrown into a completely new world, the existence of which you hadn't known until that letter had arrived on that fateful day, and also becoming the object of interest to a group of very powerful, very eccentric demons who all wanted a share of time to spend with you. the thing that had affected you the most, though, was the total darkness that hung in the sky for the entirety of every day and night.

the only other person who you might've been able to relate to was solomon, but when you approached him with the topic, he said he'd been down here many times before he was formally invited to the academy, essentially telling you to suck it up until your circadian rhythm had adjusted itself to the unfamiliar realm.

and even after months of living in hell, you still couldn't figure out how to resolve the sleepless nights that plagued you every couple of weeks. you'd tried everything. trying to burn yourself out with exercise, chewing mint gum, drinking chamomile tea, counting to 10,000, taking hot baths, any odd trick you'd heard of in the human world for falling asleep faster had been attempted and failed three times over.

tonight, you had decided to take a page out of beel's book, quietly exiting your room and making your way to the kitchen. you weren't even hungry, but you remembered his confident assertion that sleeping on a full (or at least partly satiated, in his case) stomach had always done the trick for him.

turning the corner, you jumped at the sight of a tall figure standing in the dim hallway, paranoia from the unknown darkness prickling coldly up your back. urging your legs forward, you chided yourself for letting such a childish fear grip you, even if for just a moment. then again, there were ghosts in this house, the vengeful, angry spirits of the family who had once inhabited the house of lamentation... but everyone always told you they never saw them! although they could've been lying because they knew a human might not be able to handle the fright of knowing they might see a real ghost manifesting it's form in front of them. as you hesitantly continued forward, your eyes adjusted to the darkness, relaxing at the sight of your favorite demon.

"satan." you breathed, advancing toward him eagerly.

his blonde hair was ruffled like he hadn't slept either, dressed in a well-loved white tee and fluffy pajama pants speckled with small cats. he looked really cute.

"what are you doing up so late?" his head tilted in confusion, smiling amiably still as he looked down at you.

"it's a little embarrassing, but i couldn't sleep. beel told me i might have some luck if i ate a lot before trying to go to bed, even though i'm kind of stuffed from dinner, i'm feeling desperate."

"i see.." he pondered for a moment, "don't listen to my brother. if you sleep after overeating you'll wake up feeling bloated. the only reason that never happens to him is because of his stomach. you know how much he can eat.."

nodding, you frowned, shoulders sinking with disappointment at the prospect of being back at square one.

"i have an idea."

you perked up, smiling brightly at his willingness to help. you felt a bit special in that moment. everyone had give out warnings about how satan only ever offered out a hand because he wanted something from the person in need, but his intentions seemed to be earnest. you couldn't think of any way that him getting you a goodnight sleep would possibly result in any personal gain on his end, besides maybe you owing him a small favor in the future, but you knew he wasn't one for collecting on those kinds of menial debts. the decisive expression of his slightly sleepy face made you feel hopeful for a positive outcome. disappearing into his room for a moment, he emerged with a small stack of books, shutting the door with his foot and proceeding down the hall into your bedroom. you were the confused one now, following him as he set the books on your desk.

"get comfortable in your bed." he said, pulling a chair up next to your bedside.

"o-ok..?"

you awkwardly crawled under the covers, resting on your side so you could see him. "what would you prefer: fantasy, mystery, or postmodern?"

you understood now, he was planning on trying to read you to sleep. his effort was admirable, but you were having second thoughts on the chances of success of his simple strategy.

"uhm... i like fantasy best!"

watching him sort through his stack, he decided on a worn yellow book, the pages looking old and frayed from being read through so many times.

"'the last unicorn'?"

"it's one of my favorite fantasies, more like one of my favorite novels. and i don't say that lightly." the slight smirk playing over his face made you smile in return, letting your head sink into your pillow as he flipped open the faded cover.

" _the unicorn lived in a lilac wood, and she lived all alone..._ "

the instant after he began, you felt your apprehensive thoughts slow and your entire body loosen with a sudden repose. his voice was warm and low, the lulling sound washing over you like a strong wave, wrapping your mind up snugly in its calming tone.

" _it was always spring in her forest, because she lived there..._ "

he was barely a couple paragraphs in before your eyes started to feel heavy, leaving you unable to question how he'd practically hypnotized you with just his quiet reading. you felt yourself going blank, eyes shutting as your limbs weighed down with a sudden fatigue under his spell. you were barely conscious enough to catch a few more words, something about hunters with bows and a golden bridle before you slipped into the most restful sleep you'd ever had since you settled into your new life in devildom.

\--

that was how it began.

sometimes you would message him asking him to come to your room, sometimes he'd offer up his services to you in the late hours of the night as if he could sense your insomnia, but every time you found yourself unable to sleep, satan arrived with a handful of books and a smile on his face.

it was a blessing and a curse. ever since he'd first read you to sleep, your issues had a quick fix, but you found yourself unable to fall asleep more and more often. the gap between your sleepless episodes grew shorter and shorter with every visit, weeks quickly winding down into just a single day being able to go by before you couldn't sleep without his voice narrating a new story for you to doze off to.

tonight was no different as you checked your d.d.d., the bright screen reading 2:38 a.m. as you flopped back down on your bed, frustrated. you didn't feel like texting him tonight, and the time frame which he'd usually contacted you had passed over an hour ago.

would it be too much to just go to his room..?

over the past month, you and satan had grown much closer, which made sense, considering your interactions had gone from far and few in between to almost nightly. everyone in the house had noticed how comfortable you'd become with him, almost worried at the rate of exponential growth in you two's relationship. you'd began sitting next to him during meals, exchanging lighthearted glances and jokes with him like it was nothing, even getting him to crack an almost cheerful smile in front of his brothers, who'd become so used to his cool, aloof demeanor at all times.

you weren't even aware of the rarity of any kind of lively expression from the demon until lucifer had pulled you aside and interrogated you about his strange behavior. he was in awe at these uncharacteristic acts of kindness, even more shocked when you told him that this had been going on for weeks. he didn't press the matter further, knowing that there wasn't really anything he could do about it and not wishing to breach his younger brother's privacy and deal with sending him into a rage. your brief talk had reminded you of your introduction to him, how you had been warned that his looks could be deceiving.

after you'd had that conversation with the eldest, you had been trying to hold back on your requests for his readings, not wanting to annoy him and end up driving him away. you'd found yourself becoming especially fond of satan, the sense of relaxation not being the only thing you felt when you were around him. you'd began to feel timid, but at the same time longing to be close to him.

your latest trick had been to tell him you couldn't hear him when he was reading to you, letting him scoot closer and closer under his knees were touching your bed. you would admire his face as you fell asleep, watching his cyan eyes flicker lazily over the pages, his mouth moving unintelligibly in your half lidded gaze before you went completely under. every morning when you would wake up, it was almost like he'd never been there, the stack of books nowhere to be seen and the chair replaced in the exact position it was always in. every morning before you opened your eyes, you hoped that this would be the day that he stayed.

sighing, you rubbed your face, staring up at the ceiling as you talked yourself into finally going to his room. you wanted to get to the bottom of this, to resolve these feelings that had been brewing inside you. and most of all, to find out his ulterior motive.

you almost felt a sense of deja vu as you trekked down the hall, the similarities ending when you were faced with an empty house. you felt no anxiety of the dark during your short walk to his room, gently knocking on the large wooden door. you heard footsteps approaching from within, fingers unconsciously twisting together with nervous excitement. slowly creaking open, in the doorway stood a tired looking satan, the same confused look from that first night on his face.

"what are you doing here so late?"

"could i come in?"

despite not answering his question, he stepped aside and allowed you entrance, shutting the door behind you. the familiar sight of never-ending piles of books crowding his room greeted you, others scattered on the floor or strewn over the large reading chair nestled between even more towers of hardcovers and assorted volumes. you took a seat on his bed, satan following suit.

"let me guess, you couldn't sleep again?"

turning up to face him, you smiled at his assertion. "bingo. except that, tonight i actually know what's keeping me up."

"and what could that possibly be?"

you couldn't get cold feet now, after you'd interrupted his evening like this. even if he hadn't been doing anything, just telling him to forget about it and scampering back to your room would make him pry, and you wanted to be completely transparent with him.

"i've started wondering why you always read me to sleep." his eyes searched your face for a moment, knowing that you had more to say. "i mean, it seems like such a hassle. you did me one favor and then suddenly i expect you to do it every week, and then every couple of days, and now practically every night. i know you better than that, satan. i hate to sound mean, but i know you won't hand out your time like that unless you gained something. what do you gain from wasting your night reading to a human just so they can sleep?"

he was silent for a moment, closing his eyes and taking in a deep breath. "you're right. i don't do things out of the goodness of my heart, it's just not my nature. but after that first night of reading, i found myself stricken by the same issue you came asking for me to solve."

he chuckled softly at your own perplexed look, smiling to himself as he continued. "ever since then, i noticed that when you can't sleep, i can't either. how do you think i know when to contact you all the times you're wide awake in the middle of the night? i might be intelligent, but i'm not psychic. the only time i can rest with ease is after you've fallen asleep."

he tilted his head at the sight of your frown, watching you turn away in embarrassment.

"i... i'm sorry. i didn't ever mean for that to happen. i can't believed i caused you such an inconvenience-"

"you don't understand. i enjoy it. i enjoy coming to your room and sharing my books with you, and seeing that serene expression your face after i've read to you. even if you can't fully make it through them, just the fact that you take pleasure in hearing them makes me feel.. happy..."

he blushed darkly, glancing down into his lap. you felt bewildered and sanguine and flustered all at once, digesting his words slowly. he liked being with you? he actually looked forward to spending time with you all those nights? you felt silly almost for letting yourself believe that he wouldn't just stop coming if he really disliked reading to you so much. he was a demon after all, the only way you could force him to come was through your pact, and clearly that wasn't what drove him to offer his stories and late evenings to you.

"so yes, you were right. i did keep coming because i gained something, not just out of necessity. i gained those private moments with you, and this connection that we have now. i gained you as.. something closer than a friend."

you felt yourself shakily smile, a hand taking his out of pure excitement. squeezing back firmly, he looked down affectionately upon you, guiding your face so you had to look at him.

"i'm glad we could spend some quality time together." he whispered, his confident grin making your heart skip, "you know i always look forward to next time."

his gaze was enchanting, bold yet benevolent as he looked over your own blushing face. straightening your posture, you were able to close the space between the two of you, meeting him in a gentle, unabashed kiss. his fingers grazed down your cheek as your free hand found his shirt, tugging him even closer. you were warm, so soft pressing against his lean frame, practically almost sitting in his lap as you indulged in each other.

hand brushing down the side of your neck, he could feel your quickening heartbeat through your skin, pleased that he could make you respond so well with just one kiss. he made a soft sound of enjoyment against your lips, movements becoming more insistent and wanton. as much as he wanted more, he remembered how tired you looked, and how tired he himself felt, knowing he'd have to save all the fantasies he'd thought up of you and him for later.

everything would feel much better when you were well rested anyways.

rearing himself back in, he pulled away, admiring your flushed, elated expression as you gazed up at him.

"we have to be up in a few hours.." you murmured.

"would you like to spend the night here?"

you smiled sheepishly at his offer, nodding affirmatively as he pulled back the covers for you. crawling into his bed, as soon as he made himself comfortable next to you, you had nestled up against him, throwing one of your legs across his waist and hugging his arm.

"i could get used to this.."

you could hear the pleasant happiness in his voice, sounding so tender and loving because it was just the two of you. your head rested just above his ribs, hearing his slow heartbeat and steady breathing. you were so blissfully delighted in that moment you had almost forgot about your exhaustion, until satan began softly speaking.

" _the unicorn lived in a lilac wood, and she lived there all alone..._ "

every ounce of energy sapped out of you within seconds, the faint echo of his voice in his chest and his comforting warmth amplifying the effect by tenfold. you were out like a light within the first five sentences, the demon under you smiling as he felt his own tiredness return. he knew that after tonight he couldn't go back to sleeping alone, and seeing as how efficiently he'd been able to put down to bed when you were together like this, it was only practical to continue.

yes, practical. that was exactly why he liked you so much. you were such an easy solution to nearly every one of his problems, and he could now feel himself slipping away into unconsciousness to the rhythm of your soft breaths, the perfect weight of your body over his, and even in his dreams, he was eager of what the next chapter of you and his story had in store.


End file.
